"Recycled" Muffins & Valentine Fun

A dear friend of mine told me how not to waste all the pulp you get from juicing.


So today I gave it a go, making these uber healthy muffins.


I tried to be super stealth and not let anyone see the ingredients.


Because around here if they know what went in


they automatically say they don't like it.


But alas three out of four gave it rave reviews.


The littlest two liked them, especially with some butter 


(which by the way, kept on accidentally coming out looking like a heart... very apropos).


Daddy woofed down SIX of them.  But he said he was hungry.


The big boy of our family when asked if he liked them answered,


"They were great.  But that stuff inside made them gross."


I call that a mixed review. ;)


But never-the-less, they scooped them up and they're gone.


And they had a hearty, healthy, veggie filled, gluten-free breakfast. 

Here's the Recipe

Veggie Puree Muffin

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/4 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

3 eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp. vanilla

3 cups veggie pulp

1 cup pineapple pieces

1 cup slivered almonds


Mix well.  
If using frozen pineapple bits, mix all other ingredients first, 
before folding in the pineapple.
Preheat oven to 350 and cook for 35 min. or until firm.
(let sit for awhile to firm up... I did find mine to be a little crumbly, 
but they were great on a plate with butter.  
I used cupcake wrappers when baking.
Oh and I substituted sunflower seeds for the almonds because it's what we had on hand.

Meanwhile... we're busy here finishing up Valentine's cards.


I scanned in the girl's drawings and we're attaching little rollo candies as the sun 


for Ava's kindergarten friends.

and little bug and butterfly stickers for Audrey's preschool friends.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Autumn Recipes

Oh.. I love this time of year.  

This photo is pretty unrelated to the topic.  But to find a 'fall' looking photo I started scanning through pictures from last year and came across a series of these.  OH my how much smaller she is.  I didn't even remember taking these.  It makes my heart melt to think of how fast they're growing.  I always tell her she can't keep growing that I want her to stay three (fah-lee) forever.  "Oh but I can't mommy, Jesus made me to grow bigger" she always replies.  She's in such a hurry to be older.  When we pretend play she's always seven and the big sister.  But she does reassure me that I can always hold her even when she's a grown up.  Sigh.  Why is it the older you get the faster the time flies.  It's just not fair!  Someone stop the clock ok?

But back to our topic.. Autumn recipes.  None of them are mine.. but I'm introducing you to a plethora of yummy gluten free recipes you must check out!  Gluten is the source of problems for so many people.  It is a main source of inflammation so with a lupus diagnosis my doctor recommended I avoid it.  

I love this blog "Gluten Free Goddess"!  But just because you're cutting out gluten doesn't mean you can't enjoy some really yummy foods.  I've learned how to navigate around wheat and gluten really well in the last year.  The internet sure helps.  I wanted to share her post today because of all the scrumptious Autumn recipes.  

There are soups and chili and pumpkin waffles and muffins and deserts galore.  But the thing that has my mouth watering are these two recipes.  I am a mexican food-aholic.  I think I could honestly eat it every day and not get sick of it.  

Chicken and Artichoke Enchilada Bake!

Or this one. 

She says her chicken enchiladas are one of the most popular recipes on her blog.

She also has a whole section of Thanksgiving ideas.  Interestingly that's right around the time I found her blog last year.   I think you'll find lots of yummy ideas there too!  Happy cooking and Happy almost fall.  Can you just feel it in the air?  I know in Southern California we don't have fall like so many states, but I still feel the change in the air, the light, the smells.  And I love the excitement of all the fall activities and celebrations.